120 Participants Needed

tACS for Aphasia

DS
DH
Overseen ByDenise Harvey, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have a history of significant or poorly controlled psychiatric disorders or current abuse of alcohol or drugs, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment tACS for aphasia?

Research on a similar treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), suggests it can help improve language skills in people with aphasia (a language disorder) after a stroke. This is because tDCS can increase brain activity in areas important for language, potentially enhancing the effects of speech therapy.12345

Is tACS safe for humans?

The research articles provided focus on tDCS, a similar non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which is generally considered safe for humans. However, specific safety data for tACS is not mentioned in these articles.56789

How is the treatment tACS for aphasia different from other treatments?

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is unique because it uses alternating electrical currents to stimulate the brain, which may help improve language abilities in people with aphasia. Unlike other treatments like tDCS, which uses direct current, tACS may offer a different way to enhance brain plasticity and support language recovery.2581011

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to see if transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can be used to enhance language abilities in people with post-stroke aphasia. Participants will receive real and sham tACS in conjunction with various language tests. Researchers will compare the post-stroke aphasia group with aged matched controls to see if brain response to tACS differs between groups.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for right-handed individuals who have had a stroke in the left hemisphere of their brain at least 6 months ago and are now experiencing aphasia, which affects language abilities. They must understand the study and agree to participate.

Inclusion Criteria

Must be able to understand the nature of the study, and give informed consent
My stroke happened more than 6 months ago.
I have difficulty with speaking or understanding language.
See 2 more

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive real and sham transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in conjunction with language tests

1 session
1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for language performance improvement and brain response to tACS

5-10 minutes after treatment

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • tACS
Trial Overview Researchers are testing if active transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve language skills in people with post-stroke aphasia. Participants will undergo real and sham tACS while performing language tests to measure effectiveness.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Active Control
Placebo Group
Group I: real-tACSActive Control1 Intervention
The active stimulation will consist of an alternating current delivered in the alpha frequency band with a peak-to-peak intensity of 4 milliamps (mA) for 20 minutes. Participants will complete sentence completion and verb generation task during stimulation.
Group II: sham-tACSPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Sham stimulation involves the delivery of 60 seconds of the actual stimulation waveform ("ramp up") which is then gradually reduced to 0 milliamps (mA) ("ramp down"). Participants will complete sentence completion and verb generation task during stimulation.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pennsylvania

Lead Sponsor

Trials
2,118
Recruited
45,270,000+

Findings from Research

In a study of 37 stroke patients, speech therapy combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) significantly improved language function, with an average increase in aphasia quotient (AQ%) of 14.94% after treatment.
Patients with less severe, fluent types of aphasia who started treatment within 30 days of their stroke showed the best responses, and those with hemorrhagic strokes had a higher likelihood of improvement compared to those with infarctions.
The Factors Associated with Good Responses to Speech Therapy Combined with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Post-stroke Aphasic Patients.Jung, IY., Lim, JY., Kang, EK., et al.[2021]
In a study of 58 right-handed English speakers with subacute aphasia, transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) did not significantly enhance picture naming accuracy compared to sham treatment, indicating limited efficacy for this specific outcome.
However, tDCS was associated with greater improvements in discourse skills, which are important for communication, and no adverse events were reported, suggesting it is a safe adjunct to language therapy.
Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Subacute Aphasia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Stockbridge, MD., Elm, J., Breining, BL., et al.[2023]
In a study involving 37 participants with moderate to severe aphasia, repeated anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) did not show a significant positive impact on language recovery when combined with language therapy, compared to a sham stimulation group.
Both groups showed improvement in language abilities after therapy, but there were no statistically significant differences in outcomes between the A-tDCS and control groups, indicating that A-tDCS may not provide functional benefits in early post-stroke rehabilitation for aphasia.
No effects of anodal transcranial direct stimulation on language abilities in early rehabilitation of post-stroke aphasic patients.Polanowska, KE., Leśniak, M., Seniów, JB., et al.[2019]

References

The Factors Associated with Good Responses to Speech Therapy Combined with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Post-stroke Aphasic Patients. [2021]
Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Subacute Aphasia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. [2023]
No effects of anodal transcranial direct stimulation on language abilities in early rehabilitation of post-stroke aphasic patients. [2019]
Effects of dual transcranial direct current stimulation for aphasia in chronic stroke patients. [2021]
Translational treatment of aphasia combining neuromodulation and behavioral intervention for lexical retrieval: implications from a single case study. [2020]
Clinical Feasibility of Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with Standard Aphasia Therapy. [2022]
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving aphasia after stroke: a systematic review with network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. [2020]
Effect of Anodal tDCS on Articulatory Accuracy, Word Production, and Syllable Repetition in Subjects with Aphasia: A Crossover, Double-Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial. [2021]
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving aphasia in patients after stroke. [2022]
10.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Effect of Anodic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Speech Language Therapy on Nonfluent Poststroke Aphasia. [2022]
Bihemispheric stimulation over left and right inferior frontal region enhances recovery from apraxia of speech in chronic aphasia. [2013]
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